The second chance of the uncrowned king - (Isekai)

The three days with the nobles passed in the blink of an eye. During these days, I got to know each of them a little better—their likes, preferences, and quirks. We've grown close enough to sleep in the same bed the past two nights, the three of us together. The experience has been very pleasant—different from how it was with my siblings. Age has been the biggest difference.

Tonight, after dinner, it's time to head toward Baron Camux's territory. I'm packing my bag to go with them, feeling a bit nostalgic at the thought of leaving home, even if it's just for a short time.

The only minor problem is the lack of time to train. In these days, I've only leveled up one skill twice: Cold Mind. The good news is: I feel like I'm about to unlock a skill related to my Imra. I can sense it.
I've been playing with my Imra this whole time—moving it side to side like a small shield focused on certain points, using it as an extension of my body, similar to how I've treated my mana in the past. I hope to combine both abilities in the future.

The sound of the door snaps me out of my thoughts. "Who is it?"

"It's me, son. Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes. Come down when you finish packing." My mother's voice comes from the other side of the door.

"Thank you, Mother. I'll be down as soon as I'm done." I hear her footsteps slowly fade away.

I finish packing my bag and head toward the family dining room. When I arrive, the only one waiting is my father.

"Are you done, son? I have something for you." He points at a dark green bracelet on the table.

"Yes, I've got everything I need. What's that?" I've never seen a bracelet like that before.

"It's a storage item. I won it in a tournament when I was young. I have a much better one now with more space, so I left this one unused until today."

Storage item? That sounds incredible. I won't have to carry all my belongings on me anymore.

"Can I really keep it?" I can't help but ask. It looks quite valuable and important.

"Yes. Everyone in the house has one. This is the smallest in terms of storage size. Just take it and put it to good use." I walk over to pick it up. The moment I grab it from the table, I can't help but examine it from every angle.

"I've already unbound my signature from the bracelet. To use it, you have to link it to your Imra and Mana. After that, only you will be able to open or close it."

He shows me his own bracelet, which is sky black in color.

I place the bracelet on my left arm. Connecting it to my Imra and Mana is easy—I can feel it accept my signature and bind itself to me.

"Try storing this cup. But don't forget to take it back out or your mother will be upset." His chuckle makes me smile. I follow his instruction without hesitation.

I channel some of my mana and Imra into the bracelet, and the cup vanishes from my hand. I'm mesmerized for a moment. I channel energy again and can feel that the only item inside the bracelet is the cup. I focus and retrieve it—it appears back in my hand.

Excitement surges through me. This is amazing. I never expected to get a storage item so soon. I can already think of several uses for this kind of artifact.

"Thank you, Father. I'll make good use of it." I hug him tightly in gratitude. As I'm pulling away, I hear someone speak.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Someone's feeling emotional today." I turn to see my grandmother and mother entering the dining room.

"He's happy because he got a storage bracelet." Hearing that makes me blush a little, though thankfully, no one seems to notice.

"Even if it's only three or four weeks apart, we also want to give you a small gift." My mother pulls a small box from her dress pocket. When she opens it, I see two tiny rings. She gives me one and keeps the other.

"We have to wear them on our pinky fingers to link them." We put the rings on at the same time. She places her finger over mine, and I feel the ring connect deeply to a part of me—like it anchors to my soul. I could force it off, but I can tell it's meant to stay.

"These rings have only one function, Maki: to know if the other person is still alive. If you see the green color, it means we're both alive. It turns yellow if the other person is gravely injured. And if it turns red… it means the other person has died."

I thank my mother for the gift. I'm surprised such a thing even exists. She must have noticed the mix of gratitude and confusion on my face.

"Maki, this world is dangerous. Even though Camux will protect you like his own son, it brings me comfort to know about your condition this way." To ease her worry, I give her a warm hug. A worried mother is something I never had in my past life. I'm truly grateful to have her now.

"I can't be the only one without a farewell gift!" My grandmother walks up, shows her storage bracelet, and pulls out a medium-sized box. When she opens it, my eyes widen in shock—two twin swords lie inside. They don't look like they're made of metal, but of something else.

"I ordered them a while ago, and they arrived at the perfect moment—just before your departure. These twin swords are made from the bones of a grade-four monster.
They should last you much longer than steel ones."

I examine the swords—white with grey edges and sharper finishes. They look powerful and feel perfect in my hands. The balance is just right. They are the finest twin swords I've ever seen.

"The bear they came from was a monster whose power stemmed from its Imra. That's why it'll be easier for you to channel your Imra through them." That's perfect news. Grateful, I walk up and hug my grandmother, and she hugs me back tightly.

"Don't lose or sell them. They were quite expensive." Her comment makes everyone in the room laugh. Just as I finish thanking my family, we hear footsteps entering.

It's Camux, Sol, and Cris—all ready for the family dinner before heading to their territory.

I store the box in my new storage bracelet right away. We greet each other and sit down.

Dinner is fantastic—delight after delight. Our chef is incredibly talented. He never ceases to amaze me.

We move to the same room we used on the first day. Before that, I stop by my room to store my suitcase in the bracelet. I can tell it's taken up some space—the suitcase is just over a meter tall, 60cm long, and 40cm wide. Comparing it to the bracelet's space, I could probably fit three more like it.

When I return, we head outside to the courtyard. I see soldiers loading more luggage, food crates, and water into the other carriage. I notice bracelets on Sol and Cris's arms too—how didn't I see them before?

Baron Camux and his children say their goodbyes to my family. The hugs are full of warmth, with promises to meet again soon. Apparently, our families will form an alliance—so we'll see each other more often.

The three of them head to the carriage first, giving me time and space for my own farewells.

"It's time to say goodbye, son." My parents come up and hug me. I wrap my arms around them, savoring the warmth of their emotions.

"It'll only be a month at most. I'll be back before you know it." I try to lighten the mood. I'm not leaving forever or for years—I don't want to feel too nostalgic.

"We know. Just make sure to behave, cause no trouble, listen to Camux, and leave a good impression at the tournament." My mother keeps tapping my forehead with her finger as she says this.

"A good impression? He's going to win, right little boy?" My grandmother ruffles my hair while saying that.

"Yes, I'll win. That's never been in question." Losing has never crossed my mind. My mindset is, and always will be, that of a winner.

"That's my boy. Come home with first place or you'll be punished." My father jokes to ease the mood.

We hug one last time, and it's time to head to the carriage. I turn around and raise my hand in one final goodbye.

"Good luck, son. Take care of yourself, and don't forget that we love you." Those are the last words I hear from my mother before I reach the carriage, where the others are already waiting.

"That was quite an emotional farewell, Maki. Ready to travel outside your territory for the first time?" I sit next to Sol, facing my uncle and Cris.

"Yes. It's time to learn more about this world." The carriage starts moving, and I see my family waving at me through the window.

It's time for my first adventure!